Nathaniel-A143
} - Mark V= } - GEN2= } }} |-| Unarmoured = } - 2540= } - 2552= } }} |caption= |spartantag= A143 |homeworld= |birth= December 4, 2524 |death= |gender= Male |height= 215.9 centimetres (7 ft 1.0 in) |weight= 158.8 kilograms (350 lb) |hair= Light Brown |eyes= Blue |cyber= |affiliation= * ** ***VALOR Team *Victor-Four |rank= |specialty= * * *Close-Quarters Combat |battles=*Insurrection on Mamore *Battle of New Constantinople * *Lerna IV Incident *Battle of New Liberty *Battle of Altair V *Operation: DYNAMO * * * |status= Active |class= * }} Nathaniel-A143, born Nathaniel Henric Williams, is a of the , attached to of the . He fought as part of VALOR Team with the call sign Valor-Three, until it's disbandment after the Battle of Altair V. Being acquired by ONI soon after, he would take on the moniker of Codename: DEIMOS, fighting alongside two Beta Company SPARTAN-IIIs until the end of the . Nathaniel eventually joined , along with fellow SPARTAN-IIIs, establishing himself as Valor-Two in the reinvented Fireteam Valor. Biography Childhood Nathaniel was born in , Biko on December 4, 2524, to Thomas and civilian Kimberley Williams. He lived mostly with only his mother, as his father was stationed on the , which met it's unfortunate demise in 2525 at the end of the . Tragedy continued to follow as Biko was invaded by the a year later. Finding refuge in one of the last remaining transports at Durban Spaceport, the young boy's mother was able to secure him an escape from the genocide. However, she would not be so lucky, as after begging a crew member to take Nathan on-board the already full to capacity ship, she found herself remaining on the doomed planet as the Covenant reduced the surface to cinders. With no blood relatives to be sent to, Nathaniel lived the next few years at an orphanage in . While living there, he became slightly reclusive, which wasn't too uncommon among other children that were left homeless by the Covenant. Though few, any quarrels that Nathaniel had taken part in would end quickly, displaying his physical superiority, which in the years to come would prove highly beneficial to him. Spartan-III Program Recruitment On November 3, 2531, Nathaniel came into contact with a woman looking adopt a child after losing her's due to a Covenant glassing. It was only when they were left alone for a time, that she revealed that she was there to look for children willing to "help stop the Covenant for good" (In reality she was an ONI Lieutenant). He had never really known his parents, being so young, but as he dwelt on that fact some more on the fact of never really getting to know them, to love them like so many other children did, his emotions slowly began to dictate his decision. Nathaniel agreed and within two months he found himself flying above his new home, Onyx. Training The very first experience he would have of his new home was an immediate training exercise, one that would test everyone of childrens' commitment to become SPARTANs. Though he wouldn't be one of the first in his pelican, he would take the jump amongst others that were willing, passing the first exercise of many to follow with years to come. Exercises and drills from , and lessons from UNSC AI , would hone his body and mind (as it did for many others), in preparation for his life as a new-generation of SPARTAN. During these years, he would also form a few friendships among the massive size of Alpha Company, one being with Valerie-A391, that would play a significant role in Nathaniel's life, later in the war against the Covenant. Meanwhile, another friendship with fellow spartan Kenneth-A463, through team-based drills, would solidify the SPARTAN's immediate future and that of his first years on active-duty. Team Scorpion Much like the Spartan-II's formation of dedicated teams, the three-hundred SPARTAN-trainees would begin to break into specific teams. Nathan would find himself teamed up with his friend, Kenneth, and , effectively given the team designation Scorpion. With the formers' proficiency in close-to-mid range combat, Nathan and Kenneth's tactics would mask Jun's approach from a distance, as he was becoming well-distinguished in long-ranged firearms. Though not completely foolproof, the team would become greatly effective against groups of basic fire-teams and exercises based on infiltration. Augmentation In 2536, after the SPARTAN-IIIs' training was completed, Alpha Company was taken aboard the to proceed with . Nathaniel, along with the 299 other subjects, were subjected to augmentation with the following drugs: *8942-LQ99 - Carbide Ceramic Ossification Catalyst: Skeletons become virtually unbreakable, allowing survival in harder impacts. *88005-MX77 - Fibroid Muscular Protein Complex: Increased density of individual's muscles, allowing heavier lifting. *88947-OP24 - Retina-inversion Stabilizer: Color sharpness is significantly improved upon, and night vision is adapted. *87556-UD61 - Colloidal Neural Disunification Solution: Greatly improves the individual's reaction time, decreasing the time taken to react by 300%. With a 100% survival rate and a brief time of recovery, the entirety of Alpha Company was activated later that year. However, even though no fatalities occurred during the entire process, with only a few weeks to adjust to the new capabilities of their bodies, Alpha-Company would struggle to adapt to their new physiques. And Nathaniel was no exception, as he forced to learn to control his increased strength before being deployed on the Company's first missions. Early Career By early 2537, after recovering from their augmentations and activation, Nathaniel and the rest of Alpha Company were assigned to the UNSC carrier All Under Heaven, which became the company's transport ship throughout multiple missions. The very first destination for the carrier, operated by specifically-picked crew members, was Reach, where their superiors waited to receive orders. In the meantime, the SPARTANs continued to train with their enhanced bodies, using these advantages with their newly christened Semi-Powered Infiltration Armor that utilized increased armor and the UNSC's earlier attempts of active camouflage. And before long, Alpha Company would be assigned their first mission on the insurrection-filled planet of Mamore. Insurrection on Mamore Despite this being the first mission issued to the SPARTAN-III's, a majority, including Nathaniel and his team, stayed aboard the carrier, as a select number of fireteams (such as Team Hyena and Gazelle) were inserted to infiltrate the current insurrectionist organization of Kurban. Though, he would try to temper the abundance of enthusiasm and waning patience from Kenneth, Nathaniel couldn't help but become silently anxious himself as hours passed and wanting to put all of his training and effort to the test, in the field. After three days of waiting and further training, word from the uncover teams finally came in, and the remaining 250 SPARTANs rushed to their respective pelicans to execute the mission. Nathaniel, with the rest of Scorpion, would be teamed up with Team Rhino and Jaguar for their descent on the planet. With their advanced armor and previously acquired details from the incognito teams, Alpha Company were easily able to infiltrate Fajardo the next morning, unbeknownst to its populace. Predetermined locations were assigned to the fireteams, and while some would focus on Kurban leadership, the majority set about eliminating hidden training quarters and weapon caches. Scorpion went about assisting Rhino in erasing one of the latter locations, with Nathaniel and Kenneth engaging the enemy, while Jun provided covering fire from the adjacent building. Though initially difficult, as any stray bullet could cause quick and premature destruction, when both SPARTANs were able to close in on the guards, they began to drop quickly, utilizing their superior strength and active camouflage to disorient and overpower the opposition. Many limp and mangled bodies later, Team Rhino finished placing their explosives and brought the entire building down on the black market items and tampered UNSC ordnance. For the next hour, Team Scorpion engaged in continuous firefights throughout the streets of Fajardo, occasionally arriving to another team's engagement, or the reversal. Accomplishing these with relative ease, their first real challenge came with the request for assistance from Team Wasp. Though they had been successful with their engagements thus far, they found themselves pinned down outside a vehicle depot housing a number of stolen warthogs from the planetary militia. Upon arriving to the confrontation, two behind improvised barriers, with a compliment of Kurban combatants assaulting from quickly-assembled bunkers, kept Wasp pinned in a nearby parking structure. Once more with Jun providing eyes and covering fire from a distance, both teams were able to formulate a quick plan against the numerous force, consisting of the combination of smoke-grenades and active camo, concealing two of Wasp's members' placement on the nearby overpass. Meanwhile, Nathaniel, Kenneth and Valerie pressed through the smoke, catching their enemies by surprise, while Jun quickly eliminating any easily-visible targets, including the turret operators of the warthogs. This victory would be quite brief as 90mm shells rang out upon the SPARTAN's position, announcing the arrival of a . Retreating back to their previous positions, Nathaniel and the others soon found themselves in the same predicament as before, with cannon and machine gun fire keeping them at bay. This time Team Rhino would come to offer assistance; coming around from the back of the complex, Scorpion and Wasp only needed to keep the enemy's attention long enough for Rhino to set up a satchel charge on the rear of the tank. Laying down covering fire, Jun was able to snipe the turret operator with ease, only for the remaining Kurban to blast the overpass in retaliation, causing the two Wasp members to flee their position, while Nathaniel, Kenneth and Valerie braved the debris and dust cloud to keep suppressive fire on the tank. Causing enough of a distraction, Team Rhino would be able to tear the rear vent from the vehicle and shove the explosive satchel inside, which soon turned the tank into a smoking heap of scrap metal and burning electronics. This endeavor proved to be the most difficult for all three teams, as the rest of the day and following weeks would be spent cleaning up the remnants of the Kurban insurrectionists. Though glad to finally have used all that he learned through training, Nathaniel could not help but still feel unsatisfied. He had survived Onyx to combat the alien threat, and though the insurrection posed a threat to humanity in dividing itself, he eagerly awaited their next assignment in hopes that it would place him and Alpha-Company against their mortal enemies, the Covenant. Battle of New Constantinople Nathaniel, along with Alpha Company aboard the UNSC All Under Heaven, would make their way to the Outer Colony world of New Constantinople, a planet besieged by the Covenant for the past three months. With naval and ground forces fighting a brutal war of control over orbit and on the planet's surface, the SPARTAN company were to be sent in to reinforce and ultimately bring victory groundside for the marines, while would turn the horrid game of cat-and-mouse in orbit back to UNSC's favor. The entirety of Alpha Company was inserted into the conflict via pelicans towards a massive Covenant outpost following multiple, coordinated air strikes to punch a whole large enough for the pelicans to deploy the young SPARTANs into immediate combat. This blow to Covenant Command in the region would prove vital for the UNSC to regain territory and superiority on New Constantinople, which with the recently shell-shocked defenses would turn quite successful. While Team Jaguar kept to the rooftops of the Covenant's buildings, keeping Team Scorpion and Kodiak covered as they set about eliminating massive amounts of grunts and jackals that survived the earlier bombings. Nathaniel featured his own savagery against the Covenant, not only with gunfire and grenades, but also with his expert close combat skills. One instance involved him entering an entry hallway to a Covenant complex with nothing but a pair of combat knives. The resulting scene being a bloodbath, alien corpses littering the floor, while blue and violet blood painted the walls and his photoreactive SPI-armor. In a similarly efficient and brutal manner, the rest of Alpha Company made short work of the battered defenses, creating an opening for UNSC forces to push further into Covenant-held territory and begin reclaiming the planet. The next two weeks proved to both be a trying yet rewarding time, as the SPARTAN-IIIs were deployed to a great expanse of grasslands in the region that proved beneficial to both opposing sides. UNSC forces would use the many roads as supply lines to major population centers still in their control, while the Covenant establish many more outposts that frequently unleashed raiding parties to disrupt said supply lines. The first many days proved fruitless as all SPARTAN teams turned up short on finding the Covenant's locations, including Team Scorpion who was teamed with Kodiak, increasing their frustrations in the vast plains. However, after discovering Jackal patrols and coordinating their routes, Nathaniel and the other seven SPARTANs would finally find one of the many bases, calling in an airstrike after dealing a blow to outer anti-air batteries. With other teams also picking up on Covenant movements in similar fashion, the UNSC would garner an impressive count of more than thirty Covenant bases destroyed in their entirety. The victory would be overshadowed as news from a collection of other SPARTAN teams that an evacuation convoy was systematically destroyed from ghost encirclement and wraith mortar fire. Further reinforcing their hatred toward the alien invaders, Team Scorpion and Kodiak attacked their final Covenant outpost in that specific region, slaughtering all those within without the assistance of UNSC air strikes until only after the area was clear of any living Grunts or Jackals. With that unsatisfactory retaliation, Nathaniel and the rest of Alpha Company would be rotated out to another part of New Constantinople, providing their much needed support where it was needed before finally departing to another besieged system. Operation: PROMETHEUS Despite Ambrose's and Mendez's attempts to reassign Nathaniel from Team Scorpion, and Alpha Company as a whole, it would overall be a fruitless venture when July of 2537 marked the SPARTAN-III's mission behind enemy lines on the asteroid K7-49. Harboring a massive shipping yard, Operation: PROMETHEUS would consist of sabotaging thirty plasma reactors that refined ore, which would buy Humanity precious months if not years against the Covenant war machine. With Jun's sudden departure from Team Scorpion, Nathaniel and Kenneth were joined by Rick-A158 formerly of Team Rhino (whose members filled in other vacancies of incomplete Spartan teams). Despite such changes, the team was satisfactorily prepared for the upcoming mission, though Jun's quirks and ever-watching eyes would be sorely missed by his two prior teammates. Initial Engagement Alpha-Company descended upon K7-49, aboard a number of Calypso-class Exfiltration Craft (ships specialized in stealth), and immediately went to task, surveying the land, plasma reactors and Covenant patrols. With reconnaissance of the shipyard sufficiently taken into account, all SPARTAN-III teams broke off to their respective assignments on the second day. While many teams set about securing perimeters and eliminating patrols, Nathaniel, along with Team Scorpion, joined with Team Jaguar and Lion in disabling one of the reactors. Providing covering fire along with Lion, Jaguar were able to place their explosives, effectively eliminating their objective with relative ease. Within hours Alpha-Company had slaughtered hundreds of Covenant workers and security forces along with seven reactors, before a sizable counter-force was assembled to eliminate the "demon" threat. However, this proved pointless endeavor as the entire military contingent (mainly composed of unggoy and kig-yar) was laid to waste by the nearly three-hundred strong company of SPARTANs. Several hundred more would be added to the growing kill count as Nathaniel, Team Scorpion and the whole of the Alpha-Company set about to take vengeance for New Constantinople, the Far Gone Colony Platforms and, most importantly, their home-worlds that suffered the Covenant's genocidal rampage through the outer colonies. With nearly all resistance from Covenant forces dismantled, Alpha-Company were left unhindered as they proceeded to shut down thirteen more plasma reactors over the following three days. Despite their incredible accomplishments so far, slaying hundreds upon hundreds of Covenant soldiers and workers alike, the SPARTANs' next confrontation would be their most harrowing ever, as well as their last as a whole company. Fatal Encounter August 2nd was the turning point of Operation:PROMETHEUS, as two Covenant frigates entered orbit around the asteroid, wherein they deployed scores of Covenant infantry lead by sangheili that began to drastically impede the Spartans' advance onto the remaining reactors. It was during this confrontation that Alpha-Company experienced the first casualties ever since their deployment. With superior numbers and banshees providing air support, the number of SPARTANs began to dwindle rapidly. Team Scorpion would lose their first member, Rick, as he was struck by needler fire, halting him long enough for a fuel rod round to completely vaporize the SPARTAN. Nathaniel and Kenneth (though dealing with the loss) retreated along with Team Jaguar deeper into the shipyard, attempting to evade their foe. Holding out in the few remaining buildings, the remnants of Scorpion and Jaguar, relocating every time a patrol came extremely close or needed to be eliminated. With sporadic communication with a larger collection of survivors, the five SPARTANs decided to reconvene with their comrades. Despite their best efforts, the unit arrived too late as the group of twenty seven SPARTANs already attempted their spearhead toward the Calypso-class Exfiltration Crafts. Nathaniel and the other four followed suit, making a desperate dash for the valley they were hidden; however, even though the larger mass of SPARTANs retained the Covenant's attention for a time, the aliens' would soon refocus their fury upon Scorpion and Jaguar. Team Jaguar was the first to fall under the hail of plasma rounds and needler shards, (including their leader Sarah A-124), soon followed by Kenneth, sacrificing himself for his long-time friend, going toe-to-toe with sangheili warriors before succumbing to his wounds. Though reluctant, Nathaniel managed to flee the ensuing firefights that engulfed both groups of SPARTANs, hiding amongst the multitudes of tunnels and cave systems carved out in the asteroid. Aftermath The following days would see Nathaniel constantly evading Covenant search-and-destroy teams, eliminating the alien threat if there was no chance in escaping their notice. Keeping a distance from the Exfiltration Crafts, as Phantom and Spirit patrols monitored the area from a distance, he was given the trying task of pilfering ammunition and equipment from his fallen comrades. During his retreat into the caverns and canyons of the asteroid, Nathaniel would come across a fellow survivor in a near standoff, the SPARTAN being none other than Valerie-A391. With both covering each other's back, the two SPARTANs had a chance to recuperate, though both were still haunted by the losses of their teams. While keeping each other in check at times, and discussing their predicament, Nathaniel and Valerie agreed on the need to escape the asteroid. Returning to the canyon housing their escape crafts nearly a week after the Company's final confrontation, the pair stealthily combed them over to see if any survived the initial bombardment from Covenant banshees and phantoms. Much to their dismay, none were operational with either their hulls compromised, entire structures destroyed or their innards gutted. Despite the situation presented before them looked dour, their outlook would take a turn as they retreated to the rocky alcoves of the asteroid, hearing Covenant ships approaching once again. From a distance, Nathaniel and Valerie observed a large craft with minimal armaments land near the wreckage of UNSC crafts. From within a species of alien not yet seen by humanity emerged and set to collecting the remains, either using containers or anti-gravitational devices if the piece was large enough; this species would later be documented as the , a Covenant Fringe species. After a brief debate on this revelation, Nathaniel and Valerie proceeded to enter one of the larger pieces of wreckage, slipping past cautious eyes thanks to their armor's photoreactive panels. Once aboard the broken vessel, they would find suitable pieces of cover as the Covenant workers loaded them into their salvage ship. For the next two weeks, the SPARTANs would have to avoid inspections, scans and the occasional passing crew-man, until August 25th, when the salvage vessel landed upon the backwater planet of Lerna IV. Lerna IV Incident Stranded After a tense two weeks, Nathaniel and Valerie would find their vessel entering the atmosphere of Lerna IV of the . Originally thinking they may have hitched a ride to a Covenant-held world, it was soon discovered that was not the case. While making their escape from the salvage vessel, they found that the planet still held a considerable amount of humans, mainly consisting of pirates and insurrectionists as reported for the better part of a century by the . With a recent uprising of kig-yar pirates on the planet's surface, an uneasy truce between the two species were made, both of which would prove a hostile force for the two SPARTANs. This prompted them to remain out of detection, while trying to investigate any way to contact UNSC forces for retrieval. Capture and Escape Despite trying to remain off the grid as much as possible for the better part of a month, Nathaniel and Valerie would be in need of supplies and investigate a means to get off-world. Because of this dilemma, they came across kig-yar patrols, which were eliminated and discovered by Insurrectionist security. By the seventh attempt to establish contact with the UNSC, they found themselves surrounded by a joint force of human & kig-yar, ultimately capturing the two outnumbered and outgunned SPARTANs. Stripped of his armor and hung up by his wrists, Nathaniel would find himself at the mercy of a ruthless, T'vaoan interrogator, Thek Ron, enduring torture, taunts and Insurrectionist visitations which were no less brutal. Surprisingly, the latter's encounters revealed their understanding of what the SPARTANs were, having pieced together reports and accounts of such soldiers against various rebel forces for over a decade. Immediate execution was demanded by the Insurrectionists, not wanting to deal with such lethal assets were they to escape. The kig-yar leadership however, not keen on taking orders from the inferior humans, decided to keep Nathaniel and Valerie alive, hoping to exploit them in underground fight circuits or delivering them to Covenant forces. Either way, the SPARTANs were going to be a means to a profit for the alien pirates. This opportunity would not come to pass as chaos erupted over the planet, by the third day of their imprisonment. Due to the turmoil, Nathaniel was able to break through his bonds and eliminate Thek Ron, rejoining with Valerie only to face Thek's enraged Jiralhanae bodyguard, Castus. Taking him down with a combination of confiscated Covenant & Human-based weapons, the SPARTANs were able to recollect their equipment and set out to escape the facility. Their progress would be halted further, however, as they came across an imprisoned UEG official, by the name of Alistair Morgan, with a supposed way off Lerna IV. With their sense of duty and possibility of returning to UNSC space, the young SPARTANs took him into their custody despite the risk of their vulnerable asset. Discovered Traversing the expanse of the nearby city, avoiding the panicked crowds and small-arms battles, only eliminating opponents when required, Nathaniel & Valerie kept Alistair close at hand. During their dash through the turmoil-stricken city, the official's neural interface would attract another group of humans to their location. After a tense stand-off, the group would be revealed as the rescue team and despite brief apprehension, the two teams united to make their way to the extraction point. Despite their best efforts, the group would come under fire from insurrectionists, also following Alistair's neural implant signal. Through intense firefights, Nathaniel, along with Valerie and Alistair, remained unharmed, though members of the extraction team sustained varying amounts of injuries. The SPARTANs & others would find themselves a lull in combat as they moved further from the city and closer to their destination, though the temporary peace would soon shatter as the group was set upon by kig-yar. Killing one of the agents, while crippling another, it wasn't until a descended, mowing down the encroaching aliens, that Nathaniel along with the everyone else was able to escape the planet, coming aboard the prowler, UNSC Madrid. Jumping out of the Hydra System, the SPARTANs soon found themselves back in UNSC-held space, where they would be debriefed soon thereafter, explaining their survival of Operation: PROMETHEUS and describing their eventual escape from K7-49 to Lerna IV. After weeks of interviews and follow-ups, Nathaniel would start to grow anxious during his time of reprieve, preferring to return to the line of duty; not only for himself, but for all those that had fallen, while survived. This opportunity soon presented itself in a way the young SPARTAN would not expect. VALOR Team Forming the Team After a month of rehabilitation, Nathaniel and Valerie would be transported to for reassignment. The SPARTANs were not only reassigned, but completely transferred to where they apprehensively reunited with Hector-A236 and were introduced to their newly appointed leader, TROJAN-operative Marcus Walker, effectively forming VALOR Team. Tensions would initially run high not only between the different soldiers, but between the SPARTANs themselves, namely Hector as previous confrontations and his abrasive attitude seldom improved the situation. Overseen by Major Zachary Miles, the newly formed unit would spend a number of weeks on Reach training to be a more cohesive unit, though clearly difficult in the beginning. Even Nathaniel found hardship in following the lead of Marcus, and it was not until the TROJAN-operative initiated one-on-one sparring exercises with all three of the SPARTANs, did he find himself developing a begrudging respect for their newly appointed leader. Once initial training was complete, Nathaniel would be presented his newest technological advantage against the Covenant and Insurrection forces, MJOLNIR. Donning the armor that was idolized during his training on Onyx, a sense of accomplishment would be felt by the SPARTAN, as he then learned how to operate the armor system properly alongside Valerie and Hector. With VALOR Team successfully assembled and equipped, Nathaniel and the rest of the team would follow the Major onto the UNSC Galahad, preparing to depart Reach and form with a battlegroup deploying to the Outer Colonies. Working out Differences In progress... Siege of New Liberty Arrival In 2545, Nathaniel and VALOR Team were awoken from cryo-sleep, aboard the UNSC Galahad, by Major Zachary Miles having received the team's new mission. These new orders corresponded with the formation of Battle Group Oscar-4 to retake New Liberty after the former Battle Group was all but destroyed, leaving the Vega System under control of the Covenant Navy. Though Nathan and VALOR would no doubt participate in several skirmishes and missions alongside the armed forces of the UNSC, their primary objective was to reach TRIDENT Base, a prominent research facility holding decades of information that couldn't fall in Covenant hands. Being sufficiently debriefed, VALOR Team prepared themselves for combat as the Battle Group neared exiting out of slipspace. Once the ships entered the Vega System and re-established the defensive perimeter around New Liberty, Nathaniel and the team, along with Major Miles, descended toward the uncompromised base of operations within the Ausud Province to begin their assigned mission. Divide and Conquer Taking UH-144 Falcons, VALOR Team push westward with posthaste, hoping to pass north over the Grande Muraille Mountain Range before adequate anti-air emplacements could be built. Unfortunately, this proved futile as the Falcon carrying Nathaniel was shot down, leaving the SPARTAN alone, while the rest of his team was forced to retreat. Realizing VALOR Team would regroup and attempt a second drive toward TRIDENT Base, he continued westward along the southern edge of the mountain range, advised to a Chalybs testing facility relatively close to his position before communications were interrupted by Covenant jammers. Later that same day, Nathaniel came across Bravo-Four, an ODST team tasked with eliminating the very facility the SPARTAN was making his way toward. Though they'd prove effective against patrols and kig-yar sniper nests, a majority of the squad would be caught off-guard by a Special Operations Covenant unit, leaving only the SPARTAN and one Corporal John Royce alive to make their way to the objective. Upon arriving to the southern entrance of the Chalybs facility, Nathaniel and Royce would then form up with the all but decimated Second Squad, survived by Private First Class Jacquelyn S. Pattillo and Specialist Edgar J. Haywood. With this newly formed team, Nathaniel spearheaded the retaking of the Testing facility from Covenant hands, sustaining damage to his helmet in a skirmish near the server archives. During this search and destroy task, the team would come into contact with the UNSC AI, Hans, who overlooked the facility's functions. Supplying the group with upgraded gear, along with a prototype helmet of the for Nathaniel, Hans requested permission to destroy the testing complex, previously not having the clearance due to all human personnel being eliminated. Nathaniel and the others were able to reach a safe distance from the internal detonation of the facility (that also resulted in Hans' termination), only to barely evade death again as the Covenant corvette, Fervent Devotion, bombarded the northern entrance to eliminate a purported "demon". The SPARTAN's assistance was further needed when General John K. Ricks gained contact with him over short-range communications within Charlemagne as the Covenant jammers from earlier had become a priority to regain contact with the Ausud Province and the Battle Group. After destroying three of the alien machines, Nathaniel would make his way from Charlemagne to New Brittany alongside with General Rick's forces to reestablish militant presence in Gradlon. Valor Down By the next day, Nathaniel made a hard press toward the rest of VALOR Team, who were navigating the Covenant-ridden streets of Gradlon with the UNSC AI, Marina, amongst them. Despite his determined pace, he would be too late to save Marcus, merely confronting the zealot sangheili, Garr 'Lakovee before delivering the killing blow. Listening to the brief words he had to say, Nathaniel would be the one to take Marcus' dogtags, while Valerie took responsibility over Marina's containment device, before setting the MJOLNIR armor for detonation. Not only did this add another haunting failure within his mind, this also marked a resentment toward Hector, as the SPARTAN did not participate in eliminating the sangheili as there were multiple Covenant patrols and a scarab in the immediate vicinity. After a heated (and slightly physical) argument with Hector, Nathaniel and what remained of VALOR Team made their way out of Gradlon before authorization for MAC rounds on the city were granted by General Ricks. By the next midday, they made their way back to Charlemagne where Major Miles instructed them to deliver Marina to the UNSC Theseus, a vessel that was damaged in the initial battle of New Liberty. With orders to leave system while initiating the Cole Protocol after being repaired, the destroyer was a suitable means of extracting the AI to Reach. Unfortunately, before the UNSC Theseus was completely repaired a concentrated Covenant force attacked the shipping yard. Led by the Zealot 'Lakovee, Captain Benjamin Wright would be forced to turn over ship defenses to Marina to counter the vengeful sangheili, VALOR Team joined the vessel's marine force to repel the force on the ground. It was during this battle that Nathaniel confronted 'Lakovee for one final time, and though he held his own valiantly, the SPARTAN found himself outmatched and at the end of the sangheili's energy sword. In an ironic twist, Nathaniel would be rescued by Hector, having buried a sniper round through the zealot's head. With that death the Covenant strike force would begin to dissolve or outright be decimated, allowing the vessel's repairs to go unhindered and leave system within a few hours after the confrontation. Despite their objective being completed, Nathaniel and the rest of the SPARTAN team found themselves with many more missions to complete, including one that would deal with Covenant corvettes in atmosphere. Operation: HAYMAKER Despite the loss of Marcus, VALOR Team would continue to push for control of the planet's surface, ultimately leading to a drastic step in retaking Charlemagne. Under the cover of missile batteries and air support, all three SPARTANs traveled via pelican toward the Covenant corvette, Fervent Devotion, with a in store. With a marine squad as support and longswords punching a hole into the hangar bay, Nathaniel and the others were able to enter the ship with little difficulty or casualties, clearing out the remaining forces not killed from the destruction of the hangar's shielding. For a good portion of time, they would remain inside the hangar bay, allowing Fervent Devotion to rise away from New Liberty's atmosphere, which was allowed to pass the UNSC battle group albiet being fired upon for deceptive effect. VALOR Team quickly made their way through the vessel, soon afterwards, exterminating any Covenant resistance thrown their way, encountering minimal casualties as they approached the bridge. While Hector and a handful of marksmen provided covering fire, the rest of VALOR assaulted the bridge personnel, mowing down the opposition, ending with Nathaniel putting an end to the shipmaster, Zakl Felvaree. With the crew eliminated and the HAVOK in-place, VALOR Team and the remaining marines returned to their pelicans, retreating with haste from the doomed vessel, losing one in the process from Seraph plasma fire. Due to their efforts, the resulting explosion not only destroyed the Fervent Devotion, but also expended the shields of a nearby Covenant destroyer, giving the UNSC battlegroup the opportune chance to destroy said destroyer and the CAS-class assault carrier, Divine Patience, at the cost of three of their one vessels. With the Covenant fleet obliterated, the UNSC could turn their attention to the remaining opposition on the planet's surface, where Nathaniel and VALOR Team would be at the forefront of many of these dwindling engagements. Retreat With the arrival of Battle Group Nevada, Nathaniel and the remainder of VALOR Team wasted no time in dismantling the remaining Covenant outposts. The last of the hold-out for the alien invaders, would be the Covenant stealth ship, Silent Penance, the very vessel that entered and observed New Liberty's defenses and capabilities. This would prove to be the most difficult engagement thus far in the reclamation of the planet, as the natural rock formations and surprising number of soldiers provided advantages to the enemy. Despite the use of the Battle Group's weaponry would have been the more effective means, the prospect of capturing a Covenant vessel was too good to pass up, requiring the SPARTAN team to take the stealth ship by force. Despite their best efforts, the goal of capturing the Silent Penance ultimately failed. Nathaniel would find himself fleeing the Coveneant ship as the sangheili shipmaster activated the vessels self-destruct sequence, denying the humans anything to gain. Barely escaping with his life, Nathaniel's situation, along with the rest of VALOR and the UNSC, only turned increasingly sour on March 24th, as the Fleet of Righteous Compensation entered the Vega System. With the fleet being twice the size as the previous Fleet of Clairvoyant Resolution, the UNSC was forced to abandon the planet of New Liberty. Major Miles would recall VALOR Team back to the UNSC Galahad, while a set number of ships collected other military personnel. With the Covenant bearing down on the planet and the few remaining UNSC vessels to combat them, Nathaniel would only be able to watch as the last orbital defense platform was laid to waste, before entering slipspace along with a dwindling number of UNSC ships. Battle of Altair V In 2547, Nathaniel, with his SPARTAN team would be sent on a mission to the planet, Altair V. With intel of a major insurrectionist sympathizer and supplier on the planet, Major Miles would send VALOR to capture this target for interrogation. Hoping to complete all of this before a highly potential arrival of Covenant forces, the operation would be aptly named Operation: BEFORE DAWN. The Hunt Descending from the UNSC Galahad, VALOR Team would make landfall and immediately begin stalking disguised insurrectionists, piggybacking on their communications to follow established paths & safe-houses for the cause. Deeming the urgency of covering more ground and following more leads, Nathaniel would pair up with Valerie, while Hector would be accompanied by the newly appointed "Valor-Two". Hideout after hideout were raided by the SPARTANs, either hoping to catch the sympathizer, or to lure them out of the shadows for either group to capture them out in the open, even offering the UNSC Galahad to target any possible fleeing vessel, were there one. Despite their best efforts, neither team could confirm a lock on their aforementioned target. The team's luck would only grow worse as Nathaniel and Valerie lost contact with Hector and Valor-Two, alongside the arrival of a Covenant fleet in orbit. Betrayal Nathaniel's and Valerie's position, a communications outpost, became compromised as the relay was targeted by inbound enemy dropships. The pair easily eliminated the unggoy and kig-yar soldiers, dispatching their jiralhanae commanders swiftly, as well. The SPARTANs had to travel back to city on foot as their mode of transportation was destroyed in the firefight and Major Miles could not send in pelicans for extraction due to heavy Covenant air traffic. Making as best of time as they could returning to the city, not only to return to the Vienna, but also hopefully reconnect with Hector and Valor-Two, they were inevitably halted by a jiralhanae pack. Pinned down in a valley around the outskirts of the city, the SPARTANs couldn't gain any ground on the larger pack as they slowly closed in on Nathaniel and Valerie. Finally, Hector would rejoin the two, offering support with his marksman skills, though with a clear lack of Valor-Two accompanying him. Quickly explaining that he lost contact with them in the now besieged city, the three urgently returned to the encroaching brutes. This would prove as a near fatal mistake, as Nathaniel was nearly shot in the back of his head by Hector, escaping such a gruesome fate by Valerie noticing the deception in time and move in as a human shield. This not only resulted in a shot to her spine, but by also compromising her position, she was riddled with spike rifle rounds across the arms and chest. With a critically injured Valerie in his possession, Nathaniel could only take a few remaining shots at a fleeing Hector, whilst the jiralhanae continued to push forward emboldened by injuring a "demon". Prepared to fend off the brutes with limited ammunition, he was saved from such a vicious encounter by the arrival of a convoy of Warthogs. Placing her in one of the troop-transport variants, the SPARTAN would take up the Gauss cannon as they drove back toward the city. Holding off Ghosts and occasional strafing Banshees, the group would only lose one Warthog as they arrived at one of the last evacuation transports in the southern portion of the city. Quickly placing Valerie into cryostasis aboard the vessel, Nathaniel helped form a hastily-prepared defense with the intent of staving off Covenant forces until a squadron of Vultures could arrive to assist in clearing out the immediate area for the transport to escape. Still several minutes out, the dire situation only worsened when the remaining SPARTAN received orders from Major Miles to activate Valerie's fail-safe detonation, which would in turn keep the injured SPARTAN and her armor out of Covenant hands, at the expense of those defending the ship. Holding the Line Ultimately disregarding these orders and cutting off communications with the Major, Nathaniel continued in assisting the last-ditch effort to create an effective defense against the oncoming Covenant onslaught. With the Warthogs providing a distraction against enemy armor, and the two remaining Scorpions aiming at the buildings surrounding the emerging Covenant, the SPARTAN and militia held them off as best as they could. Though the resulting debris and dust cloud provided an advantage to the defenders in the beginning, the Covenant forces continued to push on their defenses, causing Nathaniel to break from cover and directly assault the incoming unggoy and sangheili. Despite being bloodied and battered, Nathaniel and the remaining militia would be able to hold out long enough, as the squadron of Vultures arrived, raining missiles and machine gunfire on panicked Covenant infantry. The transport would be able to leave the planet with Valerie onboard, while Valor-Two was able to reunite with the remaining SPARTAN, having lost communications with Miles and the team after falling victim to a collapsed building and being left behind by Hector. This reprieve was short-lived when contact with the Major was re-established, where Miles would order Valor-Two to take Nathaniel into custody. This process went without resistance as the pair returned to the UNSC Galahad, the vessel also re-acquiring the cryo-frozen body of Valerie, as Nathaniel awaited his interrogation and inevitable punishment. Reprimand and Reassignment Reach became the setting of Nathaniel's future when returning to UNSC-held space, becoming a brief but trying time for the SPARTAN. Interrogations, psyche evaluations and mere observations were performed for the better part of the week in his confinement, with possible decommissioning being considered due to Nathaniel's jeopardizing actions on Altair V. Such a punishment would not come to pass, however, as an operative from the Office of Naval Intelligence procured the SPARTAN from his incarceration. Codename: CHANCELLOR Taken aboard the UNSC Pale Horse, Nathaniel was introduced to Beta Company SPARTANs, Tae-yong-B214 and Hee-yong-B215, a twin headhunter team also acquired by their new handler, Codename: CHANCELLOR. Receiving the new alias of Codename: DEIMOS, he would officially become the third member of Victor-Four. Acclimation to the team for all three SPARTANs was difficult, as Hee-yong's fiery and abrasive nature came into conflict with Nathaniel almost immediately. Despite this, Victor-Four would be sent on a number of missions against insurrection and Covenant forces alternatively. Though the initial missions came with difficulty, Nathaniel would begin to find a mutual respect for his younger "siblings", becoming that more effective in higher-risk objectives and against overwhelming amounts of opponents. Even with their multiple victories and preemptive strikes against the UNSC's enemies, Nathaniel and the rest of Victor-Four found themselves being pushed further and further back into recognized UNSC space as the Covenant continued their onslaught into the Inner Colonies. Woden's Spear In 2548, seven months after Victor-Four's creation, the UNSC Woden's Spear, an Artemis-class battlecruiser that made an emergency slipspace jump during the , made a sudden and unexpected reappearance. However, having returned within now Covenant-held space, and with nothing more than a distress signal as it's only form of communication, these suspicious circumstances would be the reasons warranting the deployment of Nathaniel and the rest of Victor-Four. They would not be alone in this endeavor as Delta-Zero, a covert unit comprised of nine personnel, would also join the mission aboard the UNSC Pale Horse. Initial external scans of the Woden's Spear would show intense plasma damage, with the bridge of the vessel being completely destroyed. Though unlikely that the vessel carried any remaining survivors, both units would be sent via to enter the cruiser through breached sections of the hull to confirm the crew's fate, along with securing any critical data that may have been left behind, before possible salvage or destruction of the ship entirely. What they would find would a massacre as bodies and blood strewn the corridors and walls, with few Covenant casualties scattered amongst the carnage. Splitting into two groups, with Nathaniel and three of the Delta-Zero heading for the captain's quarters, while those remaining continued to sweep the battlecruiser. Upon entering, they would discover the final message left by the captain, describing their dire last hours exiting slipspace as they were being overwhelmed, forcing him to purge all NAV data and to initiate the final dispensation of the Spear's on-board AI. Seemingly on queue to the dire message, Nathaniel would receive sounds of gunfire over the comms followed by Tae-yong's report of encountering unknown hostiles. Reuniting in the hangar, Nathaniel would come face to face with a gigantic, cycloptic being that had already tore through three of operatives from Delta-Zero with ease. These unknown aliens would later be identified as the , semi-sapient creatures used for terror tactics and close-quarters theatres of engagement. In the ensuing battle two more of the Delta-Zero squad were killed, while Nathaniel and Hee-yong, inexperienced in fighting these new foes, sustained considerable injuries before felling the massive creatures. Trouble would only continue to mount as two Covenant vessels would reveal themselves from a nearby planetoid, closing in on the Spear, unaware of the Galahad's location that was at this point in it's own stealth procedures. With plasma bombardments already tearing through the hull of the cruiser, the SPARTANs' only hope for retreat was to cause the Woden's Spear's engines to overload and subsequently destroy the vessel, hopefully causing enough of a distraction as they, along with the remnant of Delta-Zero, would make their escape. However, it was the intervention of CHANCELLOR and Bradley with a remote-guided drone equipped with a Shiva-class nuclear device to cause an extra layer of confusion amongst the Covenant vessels. Finding their window between the detonation of the nuclear device and the Spear, Victor-Four and Delta-Zero would escape back to the Galahad as both Covenant ships would sustain damage, allowing the human's hasty retreat through slipspace. Though the crew of the Woden's Spear were lost with all hands, and it's NAV data already erased from all onboard systems, Nathaniel and the rest of Victor-Four were able to eliminate any further use or research of the vessel by the Covenant. They're encounter would also be thoroughly documented and reviewed as it showed the cunning and lengths the alien hegemony would be willing to go through to acquire more information to destroy humanity and it's colonies. Nathaniel would spend the next couple weeks recovering from his encounter with the Sharquoi, feeling uncertain of their purported minor 'victory' against the Covenant; a feeling that would reoccur in the SPARTAN's mind again and again in the coming years within the Inner Colonies. Inner Colony Turmoil In progress... Operation: DYNAMO Phase One The year of 2550 gave no reprieve for Victor-Four as they found themselves attached to a mission of great importance. Within the remnants of already destroyed UNSC colonies, the gas giant GB-348 became a major supply junction for the Covenant war machine and crippling it would provide humanity with time that became a sparse, but vital commodity. This, along with the vulnerability of many inner colony worlds such as Meridian, Concord and Ballast, made this junction a priority target to postpone their advance. As such, the UNSC Pale Horse soon became the vessel holding three separate SPARTAN teams, that included Victor-Four and FEUDAL Team. Nathaniel would have a brief time to acknowledge and speak with fellow Alpha Company SPARTANs, Daniel-A010 and Tanya-A116, before the prowler reached in the midst of being attacked. Though tragic, the planet's suffering would provide the SPARTAN teams their means to continue Operation: DYNAMO, by commandeering a Covenant vessel. By taking a number of , all three teams proceeded to assault their respective vessels in tandem, causing mass confusion for the battle cluster, as the SPARTANs punched a whole into their ships for entry. Nathaniel, having boarded the Eternal Courage along with Victor-Four, quickly dispatched all Covenant personnel in the immediate area, before making a push for the bridge. They wouldn't make it far through the hallways when reinforcements arrived to halt the SPARTANs' progress, including the self-appointed "Demon Hunters" looking to increase their renown with the team's death. This proved a fruitless venture as the twins held down one end of the corridor, while Nathaniel would confront sangheili at the other end, utilizing his superior close-combat abilities to tear through them. After the heated battle with the would-be demon slayers, the entire team made their way to the bridge, quickly dispatching the vessel's crew and it's shipmaster. This triumph was short-lived as the remaining Covenant ships glassing the planet sped toward the three SPARTAN-captured vessels. Their opening salvos battered the shields of Victor-Four's and FEUDAL Team's respective ships, leaving the third untouched, as miscommunication from the shipmaster before his demise announced the third group of "demons" dead. Setting the two besieged vessels' to self-destruction, Nathaniel and the remaining SPARTANs relocated themselves onto the third ship with great haste as the UNSC AI, Bradley, set course to the system hosting GB-348, with the Pale Horse piggybacking the subsequent slipspace rupture. The resulting explosions would mask their escape, leaving the Covenant with little to do than return to setting fire to Minab's surface. Phase Two Exiting slipspace and entering the system of GB-348, Victor-Four and the others would be in the presence of a massive Covenant fleet, numbering almost a hundred ships in it's entirety. With such numbers stacked against them, Nathaniel, CHANCELLOR and Cody-B042 of FEUDAL Team would formulate a plan with the assistance of Bradley. Moving the ship to dock with the supply station, the AI would fire off many of the ship's turrets and intentionally crashing the vessel into the station, causing enough turmoil for the Covenant forces to allow the three respective SPARTAN teams to enter through the means of a phantom. Having entered the facility, Nathaniel, along with the rest of Victor-Four and Sage Team, would take the HAVOK nuclear device and begin heading to the station's generators, guided by Bradley, while FEUDAL Team would remain and keep Covenant forces distracted and at bay until the mission was completed. Though the path they took met with backtracking and sporadic numbers of adversaries, both teams would make it to their destination relatively unscathed and began prepping the device. The sequence of events would turn dour when a drastic increase of Covenant soldiers began to assault the generator room housing the reported "demons". Though fighting valiantly, the spartans were fighting a losing battle, Nathaniel taking a number of Needler rounds to his left shoulder, while Hee-Yong received multiple plasma burns across her armor, even burning through to her skin. Sage Team fared even worse as two of its' members perished leaving only it's leader, Orson-426 alive to continue the fight. Having the most grievous of wounds, Orson volunteered to stay behind and make sure the HAVOK indeed detonated as planned, not without some opposition from Nathaniel and Victor-Four before their arguments dwindled. Victor-Four would press forward, making their way back to FEUDAL Team, attempting to eliminating as many Covenant defenders as possible to lighten Orson's already trying burden. A fuel rod round would knock an already wounded Hee-Yong to the ground, putting her out of the fight as Tae-Yong, being the less injured, would have to carry her along to the rendezvous. Though successful in making their way to FEUDAL Team, the situation didn't seem to be faring too well for the other spartan team either, as many of it's members were already injured from intense bouts with Covenant forces that employed Hunters into the fray. After explaining the dire situation concerning with Sage Team, Nathaniel and the remaining spartans found themselves thrown into another grueling firefight, with the enemy constituting of sangheili zealots. With many of FEUDAL Team being dragged to the phantoms, along with Tae-Yong carrying his sister to safety, this left him alongside Cody-B042 and Daniel-A010 to hold off the wave of crimson-clad warriors. The spartan was able to hold his own, though with difficulty, his wounds starting to get to him, specifically his shoulder. This became apparent against one zealot pushing him to his limits, only succeeding by using the sangheili's confidence against him, ending the laboring fight with snapping the alien's neck. As a reprieve in the battle ensued, Nathaniel along with the other two spartans took their leave, rushing to the phantom their teammates retreated to as the commotion of another wave could be heard. Detonating the two remaining phantoms, the remaining spartans were able to escape the station before the exploded generator caused it's complete destruction. The resulting explosion devastated the nearby Covenant fleet, which in turn provided the UNSC Pale Horse time to leave the system. Aftermath In progress... Defense of Concord would become the next theatre of warfare for Victor-Four and many other SPARTAN units as the planet was under siege from Covenant forces in 2551. The sudden, bolstering defense would be due in large part because of it's megacity, , which housed the manufacturing company, . Multiple prototypes of MJOLNIR variants made their numerous sites priority number one for all SPARTAN personnel stationed on the planet. Nathaniel would infact test out the Venator-class that, despite not being a full suite, improved his already impressive affinity towards close quarters combat. One instance recorded the SPARTAN engaging a Sangheili swordsman and effectively neutralizing the threat in less than five minutes. Further examples of the test model's efficiency was proved in the Lethbridge Combat Fields, originally the site of testing MJOLNIR variants, it soon became a living hell for Covenant as Nathaniel and several SPARTANs soundly dismantled any attempts of intrusion. After Lethbridge was secured by UNSC forces, Victor-Four would be sent to Langford Island to reclaim Arbalest Station, one of many research stations outfitted with long-range mass drivers. Covertly approaching the island aboard an UH-151 Merlin, Nathaniel and his team would begin systematically eliminating patrols and outer sentries, pushing further and further into the compound until by daybreak the Covenant presence was entirely destroyed. With their objective done, the SPARTANs would continue on a select number of covert missions on Concord, until finally returning to the UNSC Pale Horse and leave system. Though reluctant to relieve himself of the test model, Nathaniel would sadly have to relinquish the Venator-class prototype back to Lethbridge Industrial. To his pleasant surprise, however, he would receive an updated test suite that integrated with his current Mark V armor in the following months. Chasing a Traitor In progress... Change of Plans In progress... Confrontation In progress... Fall of Reach After the confrontation on REDACTED against Hector-A236, Nathaniel and Victor-Four would spend some time recuperating from the damaging incident, Tae-yong acquiring a robotic prosthetic for his left arm. The following months constituted of a number of missions within the Inner Colonies mostly against Covenant forces. CHANCELLOR would receive orders to immediately rendezvous at Reach during later part of 2552, with the entirety of Victor-Four finally discovering that upon exiting slipspace on August 18th that the Covenant had not only found the fortress world, but was already in the process of invading the surface. Invasion In progress... Rescue and Reunion In progress... Escape Recovering from the destruction of a Covenant cruiser over due to a , Victor-Four would find their acquired Phantom damaged beyond use, while the resulting electromagnetic pulse disabled their communications with CHANCELLOR and Bradley. With an encased Marina still in-tow, Nathaniel and the twins would traverse a devastated section of the Big Horn River towards their initial extraction point at . During their trek through the evaporated riverbed, they would come across a crashed banshee accompanied by a motionless SPARTAN nearby. Miraculously enough, the SPARTAN survived though unconscious, prompting the team to debate whether they should risk the mission by hauling him with them or to leave a brother-in-arms behind. Sending Tae-yong out to scout, the younger SPARTAN returned with the location of a nearby outpost housing a , their possible ticket out of the Valley before more Covenant forces entirely overran the entire region. With Nathaniel behind the wheel, Victor-Four would continue their journey through the valley, with Hee-yong watching over the incapacitated SPARTAN in the rear of the Warthog. Though they were able to make up time, they would find themselves targets to a banshee scouting party, narrowly evading plasma fire and fuel rod rounds thanks to Nathaniel's questionable driving techniques and the combined firepower of Tae-yong and Hee-yong. And despite their brief victory, the SPARTANs were soon pursued by a squadron of , raining plasma mortars throughout the riverbed. Nearly overwhelmed, Nathaniel quickly ordered Hee-yong's remaining explosive firepower to destroy the supports to an already damaged bridge, causing it to collapse behind them, effectively cutting them off from their zealous pursuers. Taking their fleeting moments of respite, Victor-Four fled into a nearby cave formation, waiting for Covenant forces to dwindle in presence and activity. During this moment of staying hidden, the unconscious SPARTAN was finally roused, resulting in a brief altercation with the others. Once tensions subsided, he would reveal himself as , a SPARTAN-II assigned to Red Team who were to protect the generators powering the Orbital Defense Platforms defending Reach from the massive Covenant Fleet. Finally being able to contact CHANCELLOR aboard the UNSC Pale Horse, Nathaniel would take his four-man team through the rest of the valley and towards Fairchild Field, encountering growing Covenant resistance until finally making a desperate sprint towards the prowler, barely making it before the ship made an emergency slipspace jump according to the Cole Protocol. Sigma Draconis A Girl's Farewell During the days within slipspace, those aboard the UNSC Pale Horse would busy themselves with repairs, analysis and preparing their next courses of action. Bradley would be oddly distant during this time, while the SPARTANs awkwardly mingled with their elder counterpart. The most impacting event through their course was yet to come with the eventual dispensation of Marina. Having gone far past her seven-year lifespan, and risk of her rampancy endangering those aboard, she eventually agreed to be terminated. However, she requested Nathaniel, being one of her previous rescuers during the Siege of New Liberty, to be with her during the process. The SPARTAN would agree, taking position near her console display. The AI would give one final apology to his confusion before ceasing to exist, and he would not come to realize why until the prowler would leave slipspace. Ladon Station In progress... Landfall In progress... Battle of Earth Seattle Station In progress... Battle of Seattle In progress... Retaking of Mars With the Prophet of Truth's fleet entering the portal to the Ark, followed soon by the Fleet of Retribution, the Covenant's presence in the Sol System took a distinct decline. As such, the remaining UNSC forces took this opportunity to eliminate such threats and re-establish control over their home system. Nathaniel, along with the rest of Victor-Four plus Valerie-A391, were assigned to the liberation of Mars, masking their position aboard the UNSC Pale Horse behind the natural satellite, Deimos. While four UNSC vessels compromising Sol Defense Group 4/B-3 engaged the remaining CCS-class battlecruiser, Glorious Testimony, the four SPARTANs were sent to the planet's surface. In progress... Appearance Nathaniel can be recognized by his relatively decent looks, dark-blue eyes, and light-brown hair that is cut to medium relegation, which is common among military personnel. Like many SPARTANs of the second and third generations, his physique overshadows average humans, even exceeding the height of most SPARTAN-III's at six feet, eleven inches. Though SPARTANS are trained to be versatile in all aspects of combat, Nathaniel's greatly developed muscles would attribute for his proficiency in close-quarter's combat and use of heavy weaponry. As expected from fighting covenant races (especially sangheili and jiralhanae) in close proximity, he's sustained wounds and scarring as a result. Thanks to his slightly-increased healing factor, that is exhibited in all SPARTANs, many of these scars have faded, though a good number can still be visible across his arms and chest. Mental Report Personality Nathaniel portrays the widely conceived notion of a SPARTAN, strong-willed and silent. He also hold a deep respect for his fellow SPARTAN-III's, as well as the II's, mainly attributing from . Nathaniel exhibits extreme loyalty to his team, a trait that would show throughout his career with squad members, even extending out to brief stints where he would find himself aiding other UNSC forces. The only exception to this would be toward SPARTAN-A236 after the Altair V incident. Such dedication to his team also presented him to moments of intense emotions, mainly based around extensive injuries to said teammates. With the addition of Kenneth-A463 and Jun-A266's ill-fated confrontations with other trainees before the operation, to the death of Marcus Walker on New Liberty, Nathaniel would exhibit fits of anger or depression, during or after missions. One of his most recognized episodes was during the defense of Altair V, where the near-fatal injuries sustained by Valerie-A391 would result in the disregard of direct orders and his reprimand soon after. The most traumatizing moment to attribute to his later psyche was on the planet K7-49. Though initially a successful mission, the sudden mounting deaths of Alpha Company would scar him throughout his life. The most damaging would be of Kenneth, whose sacrifice for him remained as one of Nathaniel's greatest shames. Despite this emotional turmoil, hiding with fellow survivor, Valerie, and their dependency on one another, helped further reinforced the extremely protective nature he became accustomed to in the following years. Despite occasionally leading UNSC Army and Marine units in the Human-Covenant Campaign, he by no means feels comfortable as a leader. During his time on VALOR Team, he'd follow Marcus until 2545, followed by Valerie, as she would assume ground-side control after the former's death. Relationships Kurt-051 As with many of his fellow Spartan-III's, Nathaniel viewed Kurt with a large amount of respect and bolstering the sense of a father-figure that he never had in his youth. His aspiration to become like the image that Kurt portrayed to the candidates as a Spartan, shaped him eerily close to the Spartan-II's of the past; silent, introverted and devoted. Even with such mental traits, he was able to open slightly to his superior, much like the rest of Alpha-Company. A final gesture from his mentor, involved the attempted reassignment of Nathaniel, an act that would save Nathaniel from the fatal mission that was Operation: PROMETHEUS. However, this gesture would be set into motion too late, as the young Spartan would experience the hell on K7-49. Team Scorpion Nathaniel developed a connection with his initial team, as most Spartans did throughout the Alphas and future companies. Kenneth received the deeper of connections, as throughout training and early missions some could say that Nathaniel took the position of a silent, older brother to the slightly younger Spartan. Which only scarred him further with Kenneth's sacrifice during Operation: PROMETHEUS to save him. Though not nearly as close, he respected his other member, Jun, and would be given an unexpected, yet welcomed reunion with his old teammate after the war. Valerie-A391 His initial friend from the beginning of training on Onyx, it would be her willingness to interact with him, that helped him open up with her and eventually others. However, their interactions would begin to dwindle as they were set into their future teams and eventual deployment. This separation came to an immediate end during Operation: PROMETHEUS as they spent days surviving after the slaughtering of their company, relying on one another until their escape from the planet. When eventually rescued, both Spartans continued to remain together as they were debriefed and assigned to VALOR Team. Though never confirmed, suspicion of a romantic interaction between the two has been brought up into question. Past controversial actions (such as the Altair V Incident) were the main reasons for such notions. Despite such rumors, Nathaniel views her as an important teammate, leader and overall friend. Marcus Walker ... Hector-A236 Hostility between Nathaniel and Hector was almost immediate with their polar opposite personalities and fundamentals, with only Marcus' leadership to serve as a deterrent from open confrontation, though it would happen on more than one occasion regardless. Their already strained relationship would only deteriorate further with Marcus' death on New Liberty, which Nathaniel would blame the SPARTAN due to his inaction during the entire situation. Altair V was the final breaking point as Hector (working for another hidden party) would betray VALOR Team attempting to neutralize him and gravely injuring Valerie-A391. A vendetta would forever fester inside the Nathaniel throughout the rest of the Human-Covenant War, encountering the seemingly rogue SPARTAN once before the end of the War, ending with devastating consequences for his newly established team. Coupled with Hector's escape, this encounter would become one of his most humiliating moments in his career. ... Tae-yong-B214 Hampered by his previous relationship with Hector-A236, and Tae-Yong's initial cold and aloof nature towards Nathaniel, made finding a connection with the young sniper challenging to say the least. Along with Tae-Yong's sister also conflicting with the older spartan didn't help matters. However, over time and a number of missions, a respect was slowly molded as the younger spartan would begin to remind Nathaniel of Jun, while also with his protective nature to come to the twins' aid during trying operations, one in particular involving Tae-Yong becoming grievously wounded by Hector and Nathaniel rushing in to his rescue, sacrificing his own safety in the process. By the end of the war, Tae-Yong would garner a loyalty and almost family bond with Nathaniel that continued past the Human-Covenant War. Hee-yong-B215 Initially hostile due to Hee-Yong's fiery and stubborn attitude, Nathaniel would slowly form a bond with the younger spartan as they participated in more and more missions together. Respect would begrudgingly grow between the two as many an operation involved one protecting or rescuing the other, until finally Nathaniel was accepted as an older sibling amongst Hee-Yong and her brother. forging a loyalty that would be reinforced by the younger spartan's fierce personality. Codename: CHANCELLOR ... Equipment Weapons : The MA5 Individual Combat Weapon System ws a series of air-cooled, gas-operated assault rifles manufactured by Misriah Armory. As the staple of UNSC military weaponry, Nathaniel would favor this series of rifle as his main stay in his arsenal, utilizing it's close-to-medium range and suppressive capabilities against a variety of enemies. : The M392 Designated Marksman Rifle was a gas-operated, select-fire marksman rifle, manufactured by Misriah Armory. Though not nearly as proficient in long-range combat as other SPARTANs, Nathaniel would favor this rifle in such situations for its decent firing rate and stopping power. : The M739 Light Machine Gun, typically known as the SAW, was a gas-operated, drum-fed weapon primarily used for protracted, suppressing fire. Wishing for a weapon that combined the stopping power of a heavy machine gun and the mobility of the assault rifle, Nathaniel would use the SAW in engagements against opponents, both human and Covenant, covering for teammates that would also push the on-field advantage. Bikon Tactical Tomahawk: The Bikon Tactical Tomahawk (BTAC) was multi-purpose, carbon steel axe, with titanium carbide coating that Nathaniel used as a mainstay in his array of weaponry, after his isolation on Lerna IV. His tendency of entering close-quarters combat against a multitude of opponents, made the BTAC quite distinguished in high-risk situations. : A multi-purpose, carbon steel knife, with titanium carbide coating, was used in tandem with Nathaniel's use of the BTAC . His frequency in close-quarters combat against adversaries, would prove the combat knife an invaluable companion with the Tomahawk. Armor : Nathaniel, during his early career as a SPARTAN-III, would acquire the SPI Armor Mark I. With hardened plates and photo-reactive panels, the armor would provide increased protection and the ability of active camouflage, which would prove useful against both human and Covenant opponents. Though the armor was more advanced than standard UNSC infantry armor or the ODST Ballistic Battle Armor, it would fall considerably short compared to the superior MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor. : After surviving Operation: PROMETHEUS, and joining VALOR Team, Nathaniel would be issued his own set of MJOLNIR Armor. Not only would this armor provide superior protection, but also enhance his abilities, ranging from enhanced strength, speed and agility to faster reaction times. He would use this armor system and additional attachments accumulated over the years till 2551. : During 2551, Nathaniel would receive the fifth iteration of MJOLNIR armor, alongside Tae-yong and Hee-yong, in much the same fashion as other SPARTAN teams, primarily NOBLE Team and it's sibling teams. The assault armor would give Nathaniel and his companions similar enhancements to the Mark IV, however, it also incorporated energy shielding that increased overall durability against incoming enemy fire. In addition, equipment from his previous armor would be adapted or upgraded to work in accordance with the Mark V. : Nathaniel would acquire the second generation of MJOLNIR armor on Seattle Station during the Battle of Earth, replacing the previously bulkier generation of armor with a more streamlined system that enhanced his abilities even further. Specifically, the VENATOR-class complimented his tendency for close-quarters combat, increasing his efficiency against powerful opponents like sangheili, jirlhanae and even promethean constructs. Trivia *Nathaniel-A143's likeness is based after Liam Hemsworth, the Australian actor. *Nathaniel-A143 was originally conceived as a SPARTAN-II by his creator before joining Halofanon, followed by revising him as a SPARTAN-II Class II, finally becoming a SPARTAN-III upon the creation of his article. Gallery File:Aftermath_3.png|Nathaniel and Valerie evading Covenant forces during Operation: PROMETHEUS. File:Nathaniel_%26_Troopers_Firefight.png|Nathaniel alongside army troopers amidst a firefight in Charlemagne on New Liberty. File:Nathaniel_kills_Ultra.jpg|Nathaniel assassinates a sangheili ultra aboard the Fervent Devotion. Category:Alpha Company Category:DoH SPARTANs